System and method to anonymously test for proximity of mobile users without revealing individual phase space coordinates
US6823190B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 3, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 3, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W8/18
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Described is a way for computing proximity (location-based proximity or preference-based proximity) between mobile wireless subscribers (who use different services) without either divulging their location/preference to the other (preservation of privacy). Privacy is kept by providing location/preference information in steps, along with an evaluation function. The services receive partial results and then locally compute the final result, or proximity. The term proximity includes not just physical proximity but also multi-dimensional data such as preference profiles and vectors (e.g., an affinity for baseball, apple pie, and ballroom dancing).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.